LXE In-Depth

The LXE is designed to be your console. Every knob, every button, every display can be programmed to accommodate virtually any application you come up with. No need to compromise anymore.

LXE is our most modular console ever. Simply group the modules into bays and connect them to your network with a single CAT6 cable. This allows you to use them in tabletop frames, with or without a meterbridge, with no need to cut furniture. Or, you can flush mount them right into your table, easily splitting them as you need.

Full color OLEDs reflect your programming, and the touchscreen GUIs let you interact with your audio in fresh new ways to do everything from pinching and dragging EQ to setting up router crosspoints in your network. ScreenBuilder™ LXE is included so you can create your own touchscreens. And ConsoleBuilder™ is a GUI-based app that allows you to program and configure your hardware surface.

Simply put, there’s never been a more customizable way to work.

Tabletop or Recessed. Meterbridge or Not. Your Choice.

LXE is a fully modular control surface that’s completely customizable for your workflow

Popular around the world, split consoles allow you to position the different parts of the console wherever you like - even in different studios.

LXE makes it easy. Simply group modules into bays, and connect those bays to the switch with standard CAT6 cables.

With or without the meterbridge, input levels are always available on the OLED on the associated channel, meaning they are anywhere you need them.

LXE is also available in two virtual versions:

Glass LXEA full-blown LXE on a touchscreen surface

Remote LXE A touchscreen remote control surface for your physical LXE

LXE is a modular control surface that’s completely customizable for your applications

Wheatstone’s new LXE console brings control surface configuration to a new level. Going far beyond the usual “any source to any fader” network concept, the LXE is a fully flexible control interface, where every switch and rotary control is programmable to perform any desired function. This means console architecture is completely customizable to client requirements, and limitations to functionality are no longer a factor. Physically compact, the LXE is available in several different form factors including countertop, countertop sunken, and split frames (split sections are not confined to one room; they can actually be in different studios).

The Console

The LXE can have up to 32 physical motorized faders, with full DSP processing available on all 32 channels. Surfaces interface seamlessly into the WheatNet-IP Intelligent Network, and utilize BLADE-3s for audio, control and associated logic data flowing on single CAT6 interconnecting cables. The system can ingest and convert virtually all audio formats: mic and line level analog, AES/EBU, SPDIF, AoIP, MADI, SDI and even AES67. Loudness metering, phase control, and full EQ/Dynamics are included.

ConsoleBuilder™ GUI

ConsoleBuilder™ software allows every switch on the surface to be programmed for function, mode, and even color (switches are RGB led illuminated). In fact, built-in software allows every button to be scriptable, letting you create powerful macros for as many controls as you want. Multiple full color OLED displays on each panel keep pace with ongoing operations, and event recall allows painless one touch console reconfiguration at the press of a button. With its inherent control flexibility and ability to access thousands of signals (sources and destinations are limited only by the size of the network), the LXE takes facility workflows and audio control to a new level.

ScreenBuilder™LXE

LXE’s new GUI is has pre-built screens for everything you normally use – metering, clocks, timers, dynamics, EQ, assigns, and more. All are touch-screen accessible with gestures you’re used to using on your smart devices. And, the GUI is just as customizable as the LXE surface. Using our ScreenBuilder™LXE software, you simply drag and drop objects and define their functions via a simple wizard interface. You can store multiple custom screens, if you like, to go with your custom LXE setups.

Features

Physical Surface:

Several form factors available with mainframe configuration flexibility:

LXE works with the WheatNet-IP Intelligent Network, utilizing BLADE interfaces, to access, control, and process any and all audio sources on the network. Through AES67, it's compatible with similarly equipped third party gear, providing functionality for your facility that is unequalled.

with layers, you can get up to 32 input channels with as few as four physical faders

LXE has a cool feature called LAYERS. With Layers, you can have, for example, 8 physical faders, each with four layers. So, you can have up to 32 actual input channels - 8 per layer. Push a button, and the motorized faders and your entire input channel are immediately reconfigured. Up to 8 layers are available to give you a maximum of 32 input channels. This gives you enormous power in a VERY compact space.

The Modules

everything you need to mix - and a way to make them yours - right there at your fingertips

The small, full-color OLEDs in the modules on the surface provide whatever information is pertinent to what you are doing at any point in time. Turn a knob or push a button and a screen will provide the info you need. These are fully scriptable to present the data you need, when you need it.

ConsoleBuilder™

The LXE comes ready to go, pre-configured to be useable for standard applications out of the box. But with broadcast audio becoming anything but ‘standard’, LXE’s magic is revealed when you use ConsoleBuilder™ to configure and program the LXE to do exactly what you need it to do. ConsoleBuilder™ is a drag/drop/script GUI that puts an exceptional amount of power into an easy to use interface. PGM Assign, Set, EQ ON/Off, Talkback – any of over 25 functions can be assigned to just about any knob, button, or fader. Pretty amazing.

Not surprisingly, it’s an exceptionally powerful interface that’s incredibly easy to use. Here’s how ConsoleBuilder™ works – display shows you the layout of your console – just double click on the button, knob, or OLED you want to configure and a series of screens and tabs lets you program it to be what you need.

Above are examples of how easy it is to configure your console using ConsoleBuilder™. Simply pick the surface feature you want to customize and select the function you’d like from a drop-down menu. For more complex things, you can script to achieve the control you need. You'll also be able to customize many functions of your LXE GUI from here.

The LXE GUI features a “button” navigation architecture to easily access features with a minimum number of clicks. These Function buttons are located across the bottom of the function display area. You may access any desired screen by simply clicking or touching the appropriate buttons.

Set the available EQ settings for the selected channel. EQ In, High and Low Pass Filters, Lo and High Shelf settings are set based on the Input fader’s SET button..

Aux/MixMinus Screen

Displays controls for the four Aux Master outputs and the Mix‑Minus Outputs.

Dynamics Screen

Set the available dynamic settings for the selected channel. Expansion and Compression settings are set based on the Input fader’s SET button.

Events Screen

The LXE can store a “snapshot” of the entire control surface in a file called an EVENT. The Event Pane is divided into two sections. The Event Recall section lets you recall previously saved Events. The Event Editor is a manager for creating, editing, and deleting Events.

X/Y Router Screen

Gives you an overview of the network routing and the ability to alter crosspoints and routing.

Input Screen

Displays interactive Source, Mode, Phase, Pan, and Aux Send settings for the selected channel. Note you must press an Input fader’s SET button to show the settings for that channel, or click to access any fader.

LXE’s new GUI is has pre-built screens for everything you normally use – metering, clocks, timers, dynamics, EQ, assigns, and more. All are touch-screen accessible with gestures you’re used to using on your smart devices.

BUT, the GUI is just as customizable as the LXE surface. Using our ScreenBuilder™LXE software, you simply drag and drop objects and define their functions via a simple wizard interface. You can store multiple custom screens, if you like, to go with your custom LXE setups.

ScreenBuilder™LXE comes stocked with meters, faders, knobs, buttons, tallies, etc. ready to drag, drop, and configure. You can also add your own graphics and assign functions to them using our script wizard. We’ve seen studio mic plots, maps of entire countries with transmitter locations, simple on/off talent panels – it’s pretty much wide open. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it.

We know that headphone jacks are seldom located where you need them to be, so every LXE comes with this handy pigtail and heavy-duty flange with a TRS jack. Just plug it into the 3-pin JST plug that plugs into the Panel Host board. and mount the brushed steel flange where you need it (such as under your desk, as pictured above). Voila! Your headphone jack is exactly where you want it.

Clean and proper power is key to the great performance you’ve come to expect from Wheatstone. It would be easy to just purchase over-the-counter power supplies for our LXE. But we don’t. In order to maintain our high level of quality we've designed and built a dedicated separate rackmount supply. We recommend running two power supplies simultaneously as a redundant backup power source.

There are several RJ-45 connectors on the rear of the LXE control surface. This number will vary depending on the size of the surface. Chose any open connector for the connection to a standard Ethernet network switch via a straight (pin to pin) CAT5e/6 cable.

Measuring Up

The LXE modular control surface is designed for countertop mounting or drop-in installation in counter top. Although the rubber feet on the bottom keep the surface from being easily moved when simply placed on the counter, pre-drilled holes have been provided so that screws may be used to mount the surface securely to the countertop.